Book Review: Spiritual Disciplines Handbook

 

 If you feel your spiritual life lacks luster, this book is for you. In Spiritual Disciplines Handbook: Practices that Transform Us Author Adele Ahlberg Calhoun offers dozens of ways to enhance how we open ourselves to God.

 Six parts with 12 topics each help you vary your routine of relating to God. And each topic includes a chart giving an overview of the practice, a one-page description of the practice, reflection questions, spiritual exercises and resources.

 For instance, the prayer section includes the subjects of breath prayer, centering prayer, contemplative prayer, conversational prayer and many more. A section on hearing God’s Word includes the topics of Bible study, devotional reading, meditation and memorization.

 When I bought the book, I thought I would use it as a resource rather than read through it. But I found the suggestions so good, I am reading through it and incorporating ideas as I go. I would really like to take a week and explore each topic. 

 Calhoun writes in a conversational, readable manner. The book opens with Contents, a Preface to the Revised Edition and a listing of The Spiritual Disciplines and Desires. The introduction subhead is titled “Discovering Your Desire.” Ten appendixes include a spiritual growth planner, a series on spiritual disciplines for the congregation and using the handbook with small groups (sounds like a great idea to me). A glossary and bibliography conclude the book.

 If you’re serious about growing spiritually, you will appreciate this book.